CROATIAN PRESIDENT RECEIVES EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT DELEGATION

ZAGREB, March 24 (Hina) - Croatian President Franjo Tudjman today received in the Presidential Palace a European Parliament delegation for South-Eastern Europe, led by Doris Pack, a Presidential Office statement said. The meeting included the Croatian Ambassador to the European Parliament and the Council of Europe in Strasbourg, Bozidar Gagro; the Croatian Ambassador to the Europea Union in Brussels, Zoran Jasic; the President's advisers Zeljko Matic, Smiljko Sokol and Djordje Pribicevic; and European Parliament delegation members Renzo Imbeni, Katerian Daskalaki, Alexander Langer, Arie Oostlander, Yiannis Roubatis, Pavlos Sarlis, Jan Kees Wiebenga, Jan Wiersma, Giorgio la Malfa and Robert Pedersen. Two members of the delegation were PHARE program rapporteurs of the Foreign Relations Committee and the International Economic Relations Comittee of the European Parliament. President Tudjman discussed the origin of the crisis, Croatia's decision to terminate the UN Protection Force mandate and deploy a new international force, and Croatia's determination to pursue the peaceful process of the reintegrating its temporarily occupied territories. The President emphasized Croatia's wish and need to improve its integration with the European Union. He added that firmer links between Croatia and European integration processes would support in practical terms, a peaceful settlement in Croatia. The President called on the European Parliament to support the peace process in Croatia as well as to inject life into the Bosnian Federation and its confederation with Croatia. Doris Pack said her delegation supported the Copenhagen agreement and a new mandate for international forces in Croatia mentioned by the President. On behalf of the delegation, Mrs Pack said she would support Croatia. Noting that UNPROFOR had failed to do what it ought to have done, she hoped Croatia would receive a better and more efficent mandate. The President responded to two questions by members of the delegation and then conferred with Mrs Pack behind closed doors, the statement concluded. (hina) sd vm 241520 MET mar 95